Exciting times for U. Florida- Tampa

A strong day of ticket sales has USF on the verge of its first home sellout for Friday's game against West Virginia. No tickets are available right now, though Bulls officials are evaluating blocks of tickets reserved for staff, recruits, etc., and could make "a couple of hundred" seats available in the next day, senior associate athletic director Bill McGillis said.

USF had increased its allotment of free student tickets from the normal 8,000 to 12,501 -- the largest student section in the Big East, they say -- and of those, about 10,000 were distributed Monday as students camped out in tents overnight, a line wrapping around the Sun Dome in the early morning. The remaining student seats are in the upper deck, and no companion tickets can be purchased.

USF was able to sell "a couple of hundred" three-game mini-plans, McGillis said. West Virginia, having sold its initial allotment of 4,000 seats, had asked for 250 more on consignment earlier this month; the Mountaineers returned 150 of those seats unsold Monday morning, and they sold out in minutes, McGillis said.

USF will also have a free concert in the Raymond James Stadium north parking lot before Friday's game, featuring rapper Mims, of the hit song "This Is Why I'm Hot." Bulls fans will be proud to find his official site, where his tour page lists a Sept. 28 stop at "U. of Florida- Tampa." Also playing will be the Shop Boyz, they of "Party Like a Rockstar." Their Myspace.com page correctly identifies their show at "Univ. of South Florida."

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South Florida Bulls fans, you've come to the right place: the USF Sports Bulletin blog. Tampa Bay Times sportswriter Joey Knight, who covers USF, will post news and thoughts on the Bulletin, and we invite your participation in the comments area. Follow the Times' coverage of USF athletics on Twitter.